When I was younger, I always tried to find the cheapest ways to make short films and videos with my friends. Even now as a video production major, I still find myself trying to find alternatives that require the least amount of money for making all things video-wise.

You may be familiar with Kickstarter, so you probably already know about its incentive program. IndieGoGo offers basically the same thing, and since you are trying to get your film produced, you can offer perks such as private screenings, free DVDs, and even in-film appearances by your strongest supporters. Keep in mind that IndieGoGo expects you to conclude your fund-raising campaign within 120 days and will take 4% of the earnings, but at least you will have more money than you did before.

There are no set cut-and-dry methods to making movies. Sure, there may be easier ways of doing things, but so often it seems as if “easier” means “more expensive”. My motto has always been “work with what you are given”, and the fact of the matter is that IndieGoGo may not raise you enough money for your production. Basically, you are going to have to improvise with what you have on deck.

Indy Mogul offers several shows, such as 4 Minute Film School and Backyard FX (which is, sadly, soon-to-be cancelled), that will help you find a plethora of material during the production process. Furthermore, Indy Mogul gives you access to a strong community of supporters – Mogulville – that will share tips and tutorials with you on your project.

The website updates very often, so you will never be short on videos to watch and lessons to learn. Besides that, the website even provides blog posts with detailed write-ups on the movie making process. These posts include several fun items, but they also dish out a lot of technical know-how that you may need for your film.

Have you ever noticed how each and every epic film trailer seems to have the voice of God as the narrator? Furthermore, have you ever noticed how you don’t have any friends who can mimic that voice without sounding as if they should be in the Exorcism of Emily Rose? Well, Radio Daddy can help you with that.

Fortunately, Radio Daddy provides you with dozens of voice professionals that are willing to compose voiceover bits for your movie trailer (or for whatever else you might need as far as production goes). The site presents itself as an active forum, so there is a community system in which you can post your voice needs on whatever section of the site that applies to you. Sadly, you can’t actually get Morgan Freeman, but these voice talents come a close second. Also, if you feel like giving back to the community or just having some fun, try doing your own voiceovers for people.

There is a free section of the site in which you can make requests for the generous professionals that will help you with your project if it is non-profit. Use it on a minimal basis with a lot of earnest gratitude, and you will likely find someone that is willing to help. However, if you have enough money in your budget, go ahead and offer some payment for your voice artist’s work. After that, pop the voiceover right on top of your trailer, and you will have something with quality that will help to promote your work.

Conclusion

These three websites are sure to help you with your next indie movie project, and they can possibly give you a little edge on the rest of the video-making world. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get it done without having to spend much money out-of-pocket, and you might even learn a few new techniques along the way.

What other sites do you use for video-making? What projects have you made using the websites shown here?